Tour Series

ozzzyosborn206
ozzzyosborn206 Posts: 1,340
edited June 2014 in Pro race
Its that time of the year again where the domestic calendar is dominated by town crits for the next 6 weeks or so. Anyone going to be riding or watching any of them? Will be interesting to see who can do what this year with UK Youth having been the form team splitting up across the various other teams.

I imagine Rapha should do well with the likes of Briggs, House, Opie, Clancy and English they have a team full of potential winners, looking forward to see if madison new signings have added the depth they need to be able to rotate riders. Also looking forward to see Blythe and R Downing although I expected more from them than they have delivered so far this year so who knows?
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Comments

  • Apollonius
    Apollonius Posts: 13
    Planning to go to Stoke on Tuesday for the Pearl Izumi.
  • andrewc3142
    andrewc3142 Posts: 906
    We always go to the one in Woking. Only 10 mins walk from home.

    Great fun and good for the kids to see the racing that close up.

    And it's not just the main event itself. Really gets a lot of people involved locally. Last year my oldest was in one of the kids' races in the afternoon - how often can you get a chance to blast around your home town on closed roads?
  • ic.
    ic. Posts: 769
    Apollonius wrote:
    Planning to go to Stoke on Tuesday for the Pearl Izumi.

    Bu&&ar

    I hadn't realised it was tomorrow. I can't make it. This will be the first one I've missed. Hope it's a good race though!

    With regards the series in general, I expect a Rapha/Raleigh rip up. Mr Clancy should bag a win or two and Yanto Barker appears on good form too
    2020 Reilly Spectre - raw titanium
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  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,314
    Perhaps Vos has stuck around to race in Stoke? It's the glamour these top riders can't resist once they get a taste for it...
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,570
    just seen that highlights of tonight from stoke are on british eurosport 2 at 5:45 on friday
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • ozzzyosborn206
    ozzzyosborn206 Posts: 1,340
    Also on ITV tonight at 10:15. Sounds like Mouldy had a stormer, very close on the line for 2nd, 3rd, 4th
    http://www.madisongenesis.co.uk/img/upl ... oke_03.jpg
  • Sussed out
    Sussed out Posts: 189
    I'm riding Peterborough. Gonna be faaast!
  • papavero
    papavero Posts: 57
    edited June 2014
    Round 2 Barrow

    Some photos from last night

    brw_tour-1.jpg



    brw_tour-4.jpg

    brw_tour-5.jpg






    1 Briggs
    2 Scully
    3 Gibson
    4 Hepworth
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,163
    What's with the NFTO kit? I thought they were riding in black with red stripes.
  • tom3
    tom3 Posts: 287
    Pross wrote:
    What's with the NFTO kit? I thought they were riding in black with red stripes.

    Is that not something to do with leading something?
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,382
    Pross wrote:
    What's with the NFTO kit? I thought they were riding in black with red stripes.

    They are in the Tour Series Leaders jerseys
  • papavero
    papavero Posts: 57
    Were they the leading team after the first round?

    Before the race

    brw_tour-10.jpg

    Edit: beaten to it!
  • tuneskyline
    tuneskyline Posts: 370
    Does anyone else find the tour series a big yawn? It needs a big shake up and some hills.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Very impressed with young Matt Gibson's ride in Barrow last night. 17 years old, and took 3rd place.
  • mfin
    mfin Posts: 6,729
    tuneskyline wrote:
    Does anyone else find the tour series a big yawn? It needs a big shake up and some hills.

    I agree with you that it's a big yawn. Not sure what the answer is though.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,163
    r0bh wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    What's with the NFTO kit? I thought they were riding in black with red stripes.

    They are in the Tour Series Leaders jerseys

    Thought it might be something like that but didn't realise they did it for a team.
  • ozzzyosborn206
    ozzzyosborn206 Posts: 1,340
    tuneskyline wrote:
    Does anyone else find the tour series a big yawn? It needs a big shake up and some hills.

    I like it, and if you have ever ridden a crit against even just a few of those guys you have a new found respect of the level they are at. I think the series has quite a good mix, durham has a solid little climb in it, if there was bigger climbs if would become less aggressive and them IMO more of a 'yawn'.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,163
    They could do with live coverage, an hour of flat out racing on a tight circuit provides more thrills than watching a peloton ride tempo for 4 hours across the flatlands of France or Italy. They just need more production value. Do these races get presented by Layla Anne-Lee or is that just the National Circuit Series? I had the pleasure of a chat with her last year - the benefits of turning up at a race with a cute dog, she wanted to be photographed with it.
  • Der Kaiser
    Der Kaiser Posts: 172
    Pross wrote:
    They could do with live coverage, an hour of flat out racing on a tight circuit provides more thrills than watching a peloton ride tempo for 4 hours across the flatlands of France or Italy. They just need more production value. Do these races get presented by Layla Anne-Lee or is that just the National Circuit Series? I had the pleasure of a chat with her last year - the benefits of turning up at a race with a cute dog, she wanted to be photographed with it.

    I've just googled her.

    Anybody got a cute dog I can borrow?
  • vs
    vs Posts: 468
    tumblr_mn2wrn1ueH1soofxjo6_1280.jpg
  • tuneskyline
    tuneskyline Posts: 370
    ozzzyosborn206 wrote:
    tuneskyline wrote:
    Does anyone else find the tour series a big yawn? It needs a big shake up and some hills.

    I like it, and if you have ever ridden a crit against even just a few of those guys you have a new found respect of the level they are at. I think the series has quite a good mix, durham has a solid little climb in it, if there was bigger climbs if would become less aggressive and them IMO more of a yawn'.

    I do ride I know how fast they go I have rode with a few in my time. That does not make it exciting to watch.
    "If there was bigger climbs if would become less aggressive and them IMO more of a yawn" :lol: The dead shall rise.
    As you were, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
  • mm1
    mm1 Posts: 1,063
    I know tv can flatten things a bit, but the crowds seem a bit small and subdued. The team race aspect of the series hasn't really taken off (despite Brian Smith pushing it every year in his commentary), and without some really big names (OPQS or Sky anyone) no team is likely to build a big enough following beyond family and friends. A team / league approach was tried in the states I think late 80's / early 90's with city based franchises (I.e. the NFL / NBA model), but this died a death. US crits now look pretty good probably because they attract large and vocal (I.e. drunk) crowds, so maybe the answer is to build up individual events. The last time I went to the Guildford crit, it certainly seemed to have a larger and more enthusisatic crowd than any Tour Series event I've been to. That's not to doubt the speed of the racing, but you need an enthusiastic crowd too to make an event.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,163
    I don't understand how an hour of flat out technical racing can be described as boring. Climbs aren't needed when you have tight corners and a race that is full on from the gun.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    mm1 wrote:
    I know tv can flatten things a bit, but the crowds seem a bit small and subdued. The team race aspect of the series hasn't really taken off (despite Brian Smith pushing it every year in his commentary), and without some really big names (OPQS or Sky anyone) no team is likely to build a big enough following beyond family and friends. A team / league approach was tried in the states I think late 80's / early 90's with city based franchises (I.e. the NFL / NBA model), but this died a death. US crits now look pretty good probably because they attract large and vocal (I.e. drunk) crowds, so maybe the answer is to build up individual events. The last time I went to the Guildford crit, it certainly seemed to have a larger and more enthusisatic crowd than any Tour Series event I've been to. That's not to doubt the speed of the racing, but you need an enthusiastic crowd too to make an event.

    That is an interesting point. How many host towns have a town centre crit if they're no longer hosting a round of the Tour series? Would be great if they become a bit of an annual event every year regardless of the Tour Series.

    I think the biggest criticism from a lot of the domestic riders is that they end up having a whole whack of the season dedicated to crits which means they struggle when it comes to longer/tougher races. They end up on the back foot when it comes to the national champs and have only just started to find form again when the Tour of Britain comes around towards the end of the season.
  • mm1
    mm1 Posts: 1,063
    That is an interesting point. How many host towns have a town centre crit if they're no longer hosting a round of the Tour series? Would be great if they become a bit of an annual event every year regardless of the Tour Series.

    [/quote]

    St Ives town centre nocturne, 14 June. Not far for you to come from Beds.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    It is a possibility. Will have to see how I get on with work. If I wasn't so unfit at the moment I'd be tempted by the 2/3 race.
  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    mm1 wrote:
    I know tv can flatten things a bit, but the crowds seem a bit small and subdued. The team race aspect of the series hasn't really taken off (despite Brian Smith pushing it every year in his commentary), and without some really big names (OPQS or Sky anyone) no team is likely to build a big enough following beyond family and friends. A team / league approach was tried in the states I think late 80's / early 90's with city based franchises (I.e. the NFL / NBA model), but this died a death. US crits now look pretty good probably because they attract large and vocal (I.e. drunk) crowds, so maybe the answer is to build up individual events. The last time I went to the Guildford crit, it certainly seemed to have a larger and more enthusisatic crowd than any Tour Series event I've been to. That's not to doubt the speed of the racing, but you need an enthusiastic crowd too to make an event.

    well the crowds certainly looked smaller in Stoke, Barrow is a new venue so its hard to judge there, but I dont know why that would be necessarily, obviously the local councils who get involved have a big part to play in promoting the event and some arguably do that job better than others.

    the team following thing is arguably true of all types of national level races IMO,but its really a symptom of the precarious funding levels of some of those teams in that you can never guarantee which teams with which sponsors will survive in what form from one year to the next, and I doubt theyd be that chuffed with a moneybags Sky or Opqs operation pushing in as that would just make their jobs harder
  • tuneskyline
    tuneskyline Posts: 370
    Pross wrote:
    I don't understand how an hour of flat out technical racing can be described as boring. Climbs aren't needed when you have tight corners and a race that is full on from the gun.

    I understand your point about technical stuff and tight corners but we are talking about push bikes going round and round. Its a bit like F1 it's so boring except that time when Jenson Button went past everyone at the Canadian GP.
    I stopped watching F1 after that. To be honest the charge to the first corner is quite good. Perhaps they should have forced pit stops and bonus points for wheelies and getting air time. Tramadol pit stop? A figure of 8 circuit :lol:
  • mm1
    mm1 Posts: 1,063
    the team following thing is arguably true of all types of national level races IMO,but its really a symptom of the precarious funding levels of some of those teams in that you can never guarantee which teams with which sponsors will survive in what form from one year to the next, and I doubt theyd be that chuffed with a moneybags Sky or Opqs operation pushing in as that would just make their jobs harder[/quote]

    I understand the transient nature of (some) team sponsorship, but these are sold as team races - so far with little evidence that this is building a following. The Sky / OPQS point is that a sprinkle of stardust might bring out more punters (seems to have worked for the women's tour), but its not as if the domestic scene is short of world class individuals who can draw a crowd. I don't know what it is (and I'm still going to Peterborough on Tuesday), these could be big events, but they're not.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,163
    Hammerite wrote:
    That is an interesting point. How many host towns have a town centre crit if they're no longer hosting a round of the Tour series? Would be great if they become a bit of an annual event every year regardless of the Tour Series.

    It just costs too much to arrange the road closures and hire all the barriers. When I first started racing we had 3 or 4 local town centre crits for amateurs (Hereford was a cracker but doubt it would get through a risk assessment these days!). There's the National Elite Circuit Series as well which usually has a good turn out for the Abergavenny round. The Abergavenny race this year doesn't include a pro race as it's the Friday evening of the National champs in the town but there's a round in Chepstow instead which should be really tight and twisty.

    There's still a few amateur ones around, usually in seaside towns and to me it would make sense for the crit series to take place after the National RR in tourist towns which I think would attract good crowds. It's always good to have a pub or two on the circuit as well. The best crit circuit I've seen was the Castletown kermesse on the IoM, lovely technical harbour side course with pubs everywhere - got well and truly plastered whilst watching!

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